so quick, too soon
by falling winter roses
Summary: Cedric died quickly, quietly, the 'extra' in Voldemort's plan. He was, to the world, the spare. / r3, qlfc, puddlemere united, chaser one


**a/n: FINALS ARE FINALLY OVER AAAAAHH!**

**.**

_**chaser 1, qlfc forum, puddlemere united**_

_**season seven, round three**_

_**main prompt:**_

**Write about a character, **_**excluding Neville**_**, who spends most of their time behind the scenes, but eventually gets their moment to shine.**

_**optional prompts :**_

**3\. (setting) beach**

**7\. (object) snow**

**8\. (genre) tragedy**

**word count: 2711**

**.**

The summer before Cedric's sixth year was filled with late night festivities and gorgeous sights. After Cedric's successful captainship of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team in his fifth year, his father had decided to surprise him with the reward of tickets to the 1994 Quidditch Cup—just for the two of them, as Cedric's mother was the absolute opposite of being fond of Quidditch.

Before Cedric and his father returned home before heading to the Cup without his mother, the Diggories toured throughout the wizarding hotspots of France and Spain. Cedric spent the summer before sixth year lounging on French beaches during the day and drinking at nearby wizarding bars throughout the night. His parents went to bed early, and in nearly every hotel they stayed in, it was simply too easy for Cedric to sneak out.

They stayed longest in the wizarding hotspot of Cannes, which was the departure point of the train that carried students to Beauxbatons. There were several magically protected wizarding beaches in the area, and a small marketplace with a subdivision of Gringotts as well as a few small inns. The Diggories stayed in one of these inns for the duration of their visit.

A week before the Diggories left Cannes for home, they moved from the little inn called _Petite Maison_, which was French for "little home," to a rental cabin on one of the wizarding beaches. Cedric spent his evenings walking along the sand dunes and closing his eyes to simply listen to the waves lapping along the beach.

On his last night before returning home, Cedric stayed on the beach for a long while. He sat on the side of the dock overlooking the waters speckled with silver from the full moon above him.

"Hi."

Cedric actually _fell off the dock_ in surprise. The water was relatively shallow underneath where he'd been sitting, though, and he splashed his way up to the surface, coughing and spluttering through the cold seawater.

There was a pretty Asian girl with a brutally short haircut sitting on the dock, legs dangling off the side, kicking at the empty air. She had walked down the dock and sat down besides him so quietly that he hadn't even noticed.

Or maybe he'd just been daydreaming (nightdreaming?) a tad too deeply.

"Hi," he said, flushing with embarrassment. He grasped onto the edge of the dock and pulled himself up onto the rough wood platform.

"You seemed very absorbed in your thoughts," she laughed. "I thought I'd surprise you."

"That was… very kind of you." Cedric started to pull his soaking shirt off, then decided that that action would definitely make the conversation awkward and stopped.

"I'm glad you think so."

"What are you doing out here? It's late." Cedric attempted to deflect the conversation away from his rather embarrassing fall.

"I could ask the same of you."

"Point."

They sat in silence for a minute before the girl spoke again.

"How long have you been here?"

"About a week. We're leaving tomorrow, though."

"Me too."

Cedric felt inexplicably drawn to her. It felt almost like the same feeling he'd had when he'd met those countless other young women earlier in the summer.

Except they were on the beach, and who wanted to get dirty in the sand dunes?

The girl snorted after a few moments. "Aren't you going to take your clothes off?"

Cedric turned to her, smirking and raising one eyebrow. "Do you _want _me to take my clothes off?"

Now it was the girl's turn to flush. "_Merlin,_ that's not what I meant!"

"Then what _did_ you mean?" Cedric fingered the hem of his shirt, trying to keep himself from laughing at the girl's embarrassed expression.

"I meant — I meant that you should take your shirt off like a normal person so you're not all _soggy_ and uncomfortable and salty and—"

Cedric cut her off with a kiss. She tasted like seawater and champagne.

If they'd never met again, it would've been for the better.

* * *

The Quidditch Cup was eventful, to say the least. Cedric's father went home late next morning muttering about "bloody house-elves" and "damned Crouch" amongst other things.

School started a week later, and at the Welcoming Feast, Dumbledore announced the newly reintroduced Triwizard Tournament. That night Cedric, Anthony, and Malcolm lounged together in the sixth year boys' dormitory and talked amongst themselves of the Tournament.

"Who d'you reckon will choose the champions?" Anthony asked.

Cedric shrugged. "'An impartial judge.' Could be anyone."

"Hey, you should enter, Ced," Malcolm sniggered. "I bet you'd be a great Champion."

Anthony immediately latched onto the idea, and Cedric groaned internally. "Yes! You'd be amazing! The judge would totally choose you."

"Yeah, you'd be better than someone like Adrian Pukey," Malcolm laughed.

"I dare you," Anthony said, "To enter your name in for the Hogwarts Champion."

"No."

"You're no fun," Malcolm groaned, flopping over onto his back. The bed bounced underneath him, sending his beloved stuffed badger holding a quaffle from under his blankets. Malcolm scrambled after it, blushing fiercely.

Cedric and Anthony collapsed into laughter.

* * *

Anthony ended up being much too serious about Malcolm's joking suggestion, and went around telling everyone he knew that Cedric should be Hogwarts Champion.

For Merlin's sake, it wasn't as if this was something to be _voted_ on.

Besides, it wasn't as if he was ever going to be chosen, let alone _win._ There were plenty other amazing people in Hogwarts for the judge to choose from, and even if he was made Hogwarts Champion, there would still be two other champions that would be far more talented than he.

But Cedric eventually gave into peer pressure and grumbled one day that yes, he would enter in his name.

The whole entire Hufflepuff house cheered. Ernie Macmillan clapped him on the back, and Anthony seemed ready to lift Cedric up in his pride.

Cedric died a little internally.

(It turned out there would be a lot more of coming very, very _close_ to dying in the next few months.)

* * *

Ernie Macmillan was the first to notify him of the fact that the delegates from the other schools would be arriving. A week before their arrival, as Cedric, Anthony, and Malcolm headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, the little Hufflepuff fourth year ran up to him, sweaty and out of breath.

Cedric resisted the urge to laugh. "Hello."

"Hi," Macmillan said, straightening. "The delegates are arriving in a week on the 30th. I didn't think you knew, so I came to tell you."

"You ran to tell him," Malcolm corrected, trying not to snicker at the excited, adoring expression the little fourth year had upon his face.

Macmillan blushed fiercely. "Yeah, well, you're going to be the Champion, so I figured you should probably know… anyway. I'm going to head down to breakfast now," he muttered before retreating down the corridor.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say he's gone gay for you."

"_Malcolm!"_

And then it was Cedric's turn to blush.

* * *

"Cedric, the first task is dragons."

Cedric looked up. "_What?"_

His bag had just split open, and Harry Potter had come up the corridor.

And _what had he just said?_

"Dragons," Harry said quickly. "They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them."

_Dragons._

He was going to have to fight a _dragon._

A dim sense of panic rose in his mind, but he shook it off. At least… at least he knew what it was. At least he knew what he would have to face.

"Are you sure?"

"Dead sure," Harry said. "I've seen them."

"But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know…"

"Never mind… But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now — Maxime and Karkaroff both saw the dragons too."

_Wait._

Why was he telling Cedric what the task was? Wouldn't that be a disadvantage for him? Even if the other two Champions knew what task was by now… "Why are you telling me?" he asked.

"It's just… fair, isn't it?" Harry said. "We all know now… we're on an even footing, aren't we?"

_Dragons._

Cedric was still suspiciously staring when Professor Moody emerged from a nearby classroom. _What had he been doing here?_

Cedric shook the conversation off and headed to class.

He'd be fine.

He knew what the task was now.

_He'd be fine._

It turned out that the first task was horrible. Cedric did horrible.

"Well, they did put me in this position," he grumbled to himself. Anthony looked disappointed while Malcolm looked utterly concerned for his well being, while at the same time being much too excited about the previous events.

There was one person he felt happy about, though. Harry had done wonderfully, and he hadn't been lying after all. Cedric couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it himself — flying! Of course! He grinned at Harry when he saw him after the task.

Though in Anthony and Malcolm's case… "Sod off," he said when they tried to stay in the Hospital Wing after hours.

* * *

Quidditch had been cancelled for the 1994-1995 school year in light of the Triwizard Tournament being held at Hogwarts, and he hadn't played a game against any of the other teams… so he hadn't seen her all year. They didn't even have classes together.

It didn't come suddenly. He went into the Owlery to see whether or not his seemingly lost owl would be up here roosting with the other owls.

He searched amongst the many owls for the familiar features of Athena, dutifully ignoring the harried-looking Asian girl who seemed to be struggling with a school owl.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed finally, dropping her letter as the owl flew back to its perch. Cedric turned. The girl held up a bleeding finger and rolled her eyes.

The owl flapped its wings, and Cedric's eyes were drawn up towards it. "Athena!" Cedric exclaimed without thinking.

The girl, who seemed oddly familiar, raised an eyebrow. "That bloody devil is yours?"

Cedric snorted. "Yeah, I guess so. Sorry about that."

He sidled up next to her and called down the disgruntled owl from its perch and started to tie his own letter to Athena's leg.

The girl gasped.

He turned. The owl hooted with disapproval.

"What?"

"You — your—"

She backed up a step or two, and that's when Cedric realized. Her hair was longer and her face seemed different, but she was still… she was still…

Oh _Merlin._

She was the Ravenclaw seeker. And also the girl he'd met, kissed, and almost shagged on the beach before leaving for the Tournament.

_Oh Merlin._

"Oh," he stuttered. "_Oh."_

And he hurriedly left the Owlery, vowing to never think of that horribly awkward encounter again.

* * *

"The Champions are going to open the ball."

That was what Professor McGonagall had said earlier, and Cedric had no idea what he was going to do about that fact. He knew how to dance, all right, but who was he going to ask?

There was only one person he'd ever wanted to ask. And he'd ruined everything between them. A respectful friendship had all been ruined by his _stupid_ decisions of the summer before.

He sped down the corridor, eyes set on the stone floor, thoughts racing. Then again, they'd kissed. They'd… had their fun. Maybe she'd agree. After all, they already knew each other. She probably liked him too… _I mean, what do I have to lose?_ he thought.

He'd just ask.

And if she didn't say yes, which was a high possibility, he'd ask someone else.

Oh _Merlin._ This was going to be the most awkward conversation of his life.

* * *

She had said yes.

Cedric still couldn't believe it, even while they stood arm in arm together, ready to enter the Great Hall and lead the dance.

Cho. Cho, who was beautiful in silver traditional satin dress robes, stood beside him, fingers clasped in his. It didn't seem real.

He'd fancied this girl for years, ever since his first Quidditch match against her, when he'd fallen hard and lost his team the match.

Yes, that had been _quite _embarrassing.

Cedric couldn't keep a smile off his face. It kept popping up again and again as the night went on. They danced and danced and danced until their feet got tired and they headed to one of the tables, laughing all the while.

"Would you massage my feet for me, my handsome gentleman?" Cho had seemed shy and awkward at the beginning of the night, but now her cheeks were crimson with joy and exercise and she laughed as she spoke.

Cedric snorted. "I don't fancy that. How about I'll get some hot butterbeer and we can go outside?"

"_Hot_ butterbeer? Who _are_ you?"

"Well, we're going outside in the _cold_, so I just figured—"

"Just get me a cold one," she laughed. "I need to cool down anyway."

He shook his head and headed off to get two butterbeers.

They went outside, edging around the dance floor, then slipping out into the entrance hall and down into the rose garden. They set off, talking together and walking amongst the rosebushes. Cedric transfigured a handkerchief he had into a cloak to wrap around Cho's shoulders, and they walked amongst the fluttering fairy lights, their feet sinking into the fresh white snow as they drank their butterbeers.

Cho stopped for a moment to admire one of the sculptures, and Cedric quickly bent down to gather a handful of snow. He shaped it into a ball and threw it just as Cho turned around, the snow hitting her in the side.

She stared at him in shock for a moment before she retaliated, gathering some snow off the sculpture's head and throwing it at him. _Hard._ Though she wasn't a Chaser, or even a Beater, her aim was good and the snowball hit him square in the chest.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

Their fun dissolved into peals of laughter and thrown snow, at least until Snape rounded the corner and told them to go inside immediately after taking off 10 points from both their houses.

The two of them ran inside, laughing all the while. It was the end of the evening at this point, and Cedric caught sight of Harry heading up the stairs. He thought of the fact that Harry had warned him of the dragons for the first task and called after him. "Hey — Harry!"

"Yeah?" Harry replied as Cedric ran up the stairs after him.

"Listen…" As a bad-tempered looking Ron disappeared around the corner, Cedric lowered his voice. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Well… take a bath, okay?"

"What?"

"Take a bath, and — er — take the egg with you, and — er — just mull things over in the hot water," Cedric said, trying to think of a way to tell Harry the answer to the riddle without making it too obvious. "It'll help you think… Trust me."

Harry stared at him. Obviously, Cedric's explanation had been rather confusing.

"Tell you what," he amended, "use the prefects' bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh.' Gotta go… want to say goodnight—"

And he hurried back down the stairs with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

* * *

The second task was terrifying, to say the least. Seeing Cho down there in the murky water… even though he knew what was going to happen, it scared him more than he'd like to admit.

The next few months were a blur. He went on countless dates with Cho, and they spent much time together as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Too little time, though, it seemed. The Third Task came months later, and Cedric was first, tied with Harry. It ended with them tied, too.

They grasped the handles of the trophy, smiling at each other, and they were whisked away to a terrible fate.

He shone in the last second of his life: he shone, bright in the night, dying as a magnificent green light.

* * *

"_Avada Kedavra!"_


End file.
